Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Is this E-Harmony or job coaching?

Yesterday I was having a talk with one of our assistant regional managers, Angela, and marveling at how God personally selects my job seekers. Mine could go to ANY coach at NextJob, but in God's divine plan, they are assigned to ME! We are a perfect match! How do I know it's a divine connection and not just something random? Well, in many different ways and one of the calls I had recently typifies this. Angela totally agreed with me and said it's happened to her many times.

Job seekers don't always talk to you about career advice. They also talk to you about everything from what they are making for dinner to what made them mad about that day, what they are looking forward to, or what made them laugh that morning when they woke up. They ask my advice on what to buy their kids for Christmas or how to get gum out of the carpet. NextJob trains us to meet them where they're at, and I really try my best to do that. So when they say, "did you ever toilet train a kid?" I say, "Yep," and give 'em my best advice including why they should probably not try Pull-ups, (they never worked for us with any of the 3 kids and only delayed their training) before we go on to talk about marketing, or whatever.

So I was on the phone with a job seeker and out of the blue he says to me, "Hey, who's that group that sings the song, "Yahweh?" And I said, "Ummm...are you referring to the Hoppers?" "Yeah! Yeah! The Hoppers." He says, "do you know that song Yahweh?" And I said, "Oh yes, did it at our church on Easter two years ago. I have several people who are asking us to do it again -- powerful song." He says, "Why do they sing, mmmmmmmmmmmm Yahweh? Is there any significance to that "mmmmmmmmmmm" in the song, and do you know what Yahweh means anyway?" I say, "Well I don't really believe the mmmmmmmmm has any spiritual significance, it's just to give a certain intonation at the beginning of each new verse of the song, just the way the orchestration goes. And as far as the meaning of Yahweh, I believe it has several meanings...God told Moses that He is Yahweh, the Lord...and it also means "He is."

"Oh okay. Thanks for telling me that. I didn't know what it means, I just like the song."
"Sure, no problem."

So a few minutes later we're back to talking career advice and he says to me, "Hey, what's the name of that quartet with the four guys...they have absolutely amazing harmonies and they really jump around a lot...most of 'em are real young...they dress real spiffy.." and I interrupt and say, "Ernie Haase and Signature Sound."

"Yes! Yes!" he says. "I LOVE 'em."

"Me too," I say, "and as a matter of fact they are one of my son's favorite groups and we love the song, "Get Away, Jordan!", partially because it has my son's name it although the song isn't about that, it's just funny and we love how they do that song live in concert....they are just so funny." "Yep," he says, "that they are."

So we go on to talk again about job stuff and he says to me, "Hey, do you know that group where the husband has short darker hair that's kinda thinnin' out and the lady has shorter blond hair and they sing with a younger looking girl with long hair? Ahhhh....can't think of their names right quick, but I know 'em...." and I said, "That would be Jeff and Sheri Easter and Charlotte Richie's the one who sang with them but I think she just went solo and now their daughter Morgan took her place."

"Yeah, yeah...they are awesome, don't you think?"
"Yes, yes, I do. Have most of their albums. Their latest one is my favorite, for sure. Love the song, "Expecting Good Things.'"

So you see this is why I know my people are selected not just by my regional manager but by GOD ALMIGHTY. (Yahweh, lol!) Because what other coach in the company could tell them who sings Yahweh, who Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, The Easters, or Charlotte Richie are? Yes, I can not only help these people get back to work...I can advise on their southern gospel music needs and God knows what else. Angela said, "Yes, Deanna...that has to be God, because I sure couldn't tell 'em anything about southern gospel!!" (And Angela's a strong believer too, by the way. But you know southern gospel fans, well, we're a unique breed. Not everybody is a Southern Gospel buff like me who was raised with this stuff, fantasizing to be Vestal Goodman from the time I was a little kid, singing "I Wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey Now".)

Angela mentioned how this same thing happens with those she is assigned. It's amazing how we are not only able to help them with job coaching but each coach has some kind of unique rapport with them.

I will not be surprised if I pick up the phone tomorrow and get assigned a job seeker who is originally from Baltimore, has two bulldogs, loves riding their bicycle and has a husband who is addicted to watching Steelers games. Bring it on!